Honda Civic Type R: A car with charisma

THE Honda Civic Type R has a lot of front, and holds the front wheel-drive car record around the Nurburgring.
It is certainly not a shrinking violet, with skirts, vanes, ducts, vortex generators, splitters, diffusers, a huge deck spoiler and a bonnet scoop. Not to mention three exhaust pipes.
According to Honda this “aggressive silhouette makes a confident statement about the Civic Type R’s dynamic character.”
This new model is longer, lower and wider, and the smooth underbody makes it hug the ground with more downforce.
Unlike some rivals the high level rear spoiler doesn’t block the view out the back window and although faked, the carbon fibre effect gives it a smart updated look.
The large rear wheel extensions are needed to accommodate the wider track and the trapezoidal bonnet scoop sits in an aluminium bonnet that is 5.3kg lighter than the steel bonnet on a standard five-door model.
Like a Golf GTI red is the highlight colour Honda has opted for in the lines running around the car, and a 2 litre petrol engine puts out a hefty 320bhp.
Even with that power going through just the front wheels, the Civic Type R zooms to 60mph from zero in 5.8 seconds.
Although it is only available with a six-speed annual box, the machined ball alloy gear knob is a joy to use.
There is a new single-mass flywheel to reduce clutch inertia by 25 per cent, and a 7 per cent lower final ratio.
Adding a final touch of theatrics is the throttle ‘blipping’ effect from the rev matching function.
Standard models get special readouts, including an LED gearshift indicator light, boost pressure gauge, GMeter and lap time recorder.
Safety measures include a Collision Mitigation Braking System, Forward Collision Warning and Lane Departure Warning.
Overall, it is not a car that your parents are going to like, but that is surely part of its appeal.